Exposing Cards In A Home Poker Game
29 September 2009Seeing Another Player’s Cards
Live poker is different from online poker. If you play poker online, the site (Hopefully!) makes sure you can never see another players cards until the hand is over. But if you are playing in a casino, or a home poker game, what should you do when another poker player keeps showing you his hand?
Play Ethical Poker
Poker isn’t just about taking another players money. There are rules and ethics to the game as well. If another poker player is consistently showing you his cards when he squeezes them, there are actions you should take. At a casino, the consensus is that you should say something the first time a player accidentally exposes his cards. Maybe he is drunk, maybe he needs to move his hands, or maybe he should lean down a little farther. Speaking up the first time at the casino satisfies your moral obligation. If your opponent continues to flash his cards after that, he is fair game.
Home Poker Is Different
There is a difference between playing a home poker game and playing at a casino. At a casino people are there to win or lose money. If a player shows his cards and doesn’t correct it after you speak up the first time, take him to the bank. At a home poker game, many players are there to have fun, or may be new to the game. They are often your friends or co-workers. Taking too much advantage can lead to other problems. If a player is showing his cards at a home poker game say something a few times, and after that try to avoid looking.
Poker Is About Betting
The game of poker is played on multiple rounds of betting. You take advantage of people’s mistakes in that game. You trap people by inducing errors in their psychology or beat up on their mathematical errors. But you shouldn’t pull shady moves to try to trick people or win money by a non poker error.
The bottom line is that when playing in a home poker game, you should punish mistakes in tactics and strategy, but you should help with mistakes in poker mechanics.
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